Best TV of 2013

January 7, 2014 12:18 PM

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THE AMERICANS - What a glorious surprise this FX period drama was. Set in Reagan-era Washington, it gets the Cold War details perfect; the 80s have never been so accurately and so non-campily portrayed. The high concept premise - Russian spies are groomed from an early age to "be" Americans so they can eventually infiltrate our system - is never anything less than truthful due to the masterful writing, directing and especially, acting. I always knew Keri Russell was a good actress, but who could foresee what a kickass she could be? And all I ever knew of Matthew Rhys was that he was on "Brothers & Sisters," a show I didn't watch. Was he this good on that? He's a revelation. One of my favorite performances of the year. Both he and Russell play Soviets pretending to be U.S. suburbanites, all while playing scores of other characters in various stings and scams. And those wigs! Add in the always dependable Noam Emmerich as the FBI agent next door (Yup.), and stellar supporting work from the likes of the deliciously malevolent Margo Martindale as a lethal KGB handler and an un-John-Boy-like Richard Thomas as an FBI division head. (Seriously, still with the John-Boy jokes?) I'm barely containing myself until the second season premiere ---- next month! less

THE AMERICANS - What a glorious surprise this FX period drama was. Set in Reagan-era Washington, it gets the Cold War details perfect; the 80s have never been so accurately and so non-campily portrayed. The ... more

THE AMERICANS - What a glorious surprise this FX period drama was.... Photo-5690370.77251 - Times Union

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BREAKING BAD - What more can be said? The show of the year. The TV event of the year. The iron-clad case for already declaring it one of the greatest shows of all time. Not to be boastful or early-adopter smug, but as someone who was there from minute one of episode one on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, I feel uniquely qualified to say "Breaking Bad" was across-the-board, without-fail one of the greatest TV viewing experiences of my TV-wasted life. Much has been said through the five (six if you don't buy the split season ploy by AMC to divide the final 16 episodes into two separate sections of eight each) seasons about Creator Vince Gilligan's (Yes, I'm bestowing upon him Creator with a capital C status) "turning Mr. Chips into Scarface" mission statement to define this dark and blackly comic tale of a cancer-riddled high school chemistry teacher who becomes the most fearsome drug maker and kingpin of the Southwest. But that in essence is what gives the series its very greatness. That is the story it told, from beginning to end, with awesome clarity and a single-minded purpose that I've rarely ever seen on television. OK, so there is plenty of greatness to go around. Start with Gilligan and his A-team writers/directors room, the cinematography, the New Mexico setting that became its own character, the spot-on musical cues. But settle finally on, of course, the cast. Bryan Cranston already owned his own wing in the museum of all-time top small screen performances for the first four seasons. Now they'll have to build him his own addition. Everyone went out in top form, from broken soul of the show Aaron Paul to finally-got-her-Emmy Anna Gunn to the unstoppable Dean Norris to every recurring, guest and bit player. And the fact that the show ended on its own terms, at just the right moment would be enough to secure a classic standing. But they decided to go out with guns blazing - literally - and create a final season that will not only stand the test of time, but will be stud less

BREAKING BAD - What more can be said? The show of the year. The TV event of the year. The iron-clad case for already declaring it one of the greatest shows of all time. Not to be boastful or early-adopter smug, ... more

BREAKING BAD - What more can be said? The show of the year. The TV... Photo-5690371.77251 - Times Union

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BROADCHURCH - I am very wary of what the in-production American remake of this BBC mystery drama (it aired here on BBC America) is going to do with this, despite the killer cast it's assembling, including one of the original's stars. Hell, I'm nervous over how this show is even going to proceed in the announced season two. All I do know is that this dark and very human story about the investigation into the death of a young boy at the foot of a cliff in a small, seaside British town was one of the most affecting, haunting things on TV this year. From beginning to end, the entire series was drenched in sadness - and that's a plus, not a minus. How the townspeople and their secrets, both open and hidden, intertwine and complicate is a thing of wonder. The grief the boy's family endures is gut-wrenching. And the performances across the board are phenomenal, but particularly leads: erstwhile Doctor Who David Tennant and his thick-as-haggis Scottish brogue and heretofore comedic actress Olivia Colman as the town's police investigator. Hers is a breakout turn. less

BROADCHURCH - I am very wary of what the in-production American remake of this BBC mystery drama (it aired here on BBC America) is going to do with this, despite the killer cast it's assembling, including one ... more

BROADCHURCH - I am very wary of what the in-production American... Photo-5690372.77251 - Times Union

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THE GOOD WIFE - It might seem like damning with faint praise to say that "The Good Wife" is the absolute best show on network television, bar none. So let's say it's just one of the best, period. And it did it without all the freedom and leeway given to cable and streaming series, and with all the hindrances of commercial broadcasts (intrusive ads, a 24-episode season, etc.). Then throw in that it's currently having its best season ever in its fifth year on CBS (seriously, other than "Breaking Bad," who gets better in their fifth season?), following what was acknowledged as their weakest. And that right there is an example of its power. Although I didn't think season four of the legal (and so much more) drama was too much of a dip, there were some serious missteps and wrong turns. But the producers saw them, admitted their mistakes, listened to the fans and course-corrected in a big, BIG way. (Again, who does that?) Splitting off the title character and her cohorts from the Chicago law firm where they toiled was a risky, high-wire move that paid off a thousand-fold. The bitter, nasty divorce between former lover/friends/colleagues led to one of the most thrilling, suspenseful, tension-filled, catch-your-breath shows on the air, with nary an explosion, zombie or vampire in sight. "The Good Wife" has always had one of the best casts on TV, and they just keep getting better; special shout outs to the ever-luminous Julianna Margulies, as well as the on-fire Josh Charles and the why-isn't-she-competing-with-Meryl-Streep-for-roles Christine Baranski. Round out the picture with the overflowing reservoir that is the show's talented and loyal recurring guest star pool. Welcome back to the Emmys, folks! less

THE GOOD WIFE - It might seem like damning with faint praise to say that "The Good Wife" is the absolute best show on network television, bar none. So let's say it's just one of the best, period. And it did it ... more

Photo: David M. Russell

THE GOOD WIFE - It might seem like damning with faint praise to say... Photo-5690373.77251 - Times Union

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JUSTIFIED - The FX Kentucky crime drama starts its fifth season on Tuesday, but last year's entry is still rattling around in my brain. Eschewing the usual Big Bad, season four layered a decades-long mystery that involved Harlan County history, with a touch of the real-life D.B. Cooper affair. "Justified," more than most other shows, treats each 13-episode season as a separate novel in an enduring series, befitting its inspiration in the stories of master Elmore Leonard, who we lost this year. Lead lawman Timothy Olyphant remains the modern definition of a perfect TV star; that's no backhanded compliment - he's in a long line that includes James Garner, Mary Tyler Moore, Carroll O'Connor, Michael Landon, Raymond Burr, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, etc. And Walton Goggins as backwoods twisted genius Boyd Crowder is still one of my all-time favorite TV characters. This year, as ever, found the initially separate and seemingly disjointed plots, coming together in the end as they were always meant to. Plus, you got fantastic guest spots from Patton Oswalt and Mike O'Malley, the latter playing chillingly (and without his trademark baseball cap) against type with genuine menace. less

JUSTIFIED - The FX Kentucky crime drama starts its fifth season on Tuesday, but last year's entry is still rattling around in my brain. Eschewing the usual Big Bad, season four layered a decades-long mystery ... more

LUTHER - Things are still not going well for DCI John Luther and that's good news for his portrayer, Idris Elba, and even more so for us. Death, darkness and loss seem to be the natural course for the London copper, and this season three of sorts on BBC America was no different. This is the kind of show you watch, even in its four-episode-and-out season, and find it hard to go back to most American crime dramas and procedurals. The grit, the nasty surprises, the unique title character. Luther is a good guy, but he's no white hat. He's a DEEPLY flawed man with some SERIOUS issues, but he always wants to do the right thing, even if he goes about it the wrong way. And yet he's no zeitgeisty antihero in the Tony Soprano, Walter White, House, Dexter, Don Draper mode. Plus, isn't Idris Elba just about the coolest guy around? less

LUTHER - Things are still not going well for DCI John Luther and that's good news for his portrayer, Idris Elba, and even more so for us. Death, darkness and loss seem to be the natural course for the London ... more

LUTHER - Things are still not going well for DCI John Luther and... Photo-5690375.77251 - Times Union

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MAD MEN - The worst season of "Mad Men" is far better than the best of most other shows. Such was the case with the penultimate year for the AMC drama. Characters and plots drifted. A sameness and slowness crept in. At some points a never before seen obviousness took the place of the show's trademark subtlety, while at other times, its revered enigmatic qualities became simply puzzling. But God if I don't still love it! Jon Hamm as Don Draper (if not for Bryan Cranston, he'd be a multiple Emmy winner) is a character and performance for the ages. And even if Elizabeth Moss' Peggy was sidelined a good deal, she remains one of TV's greatest characters. Christina Hendricks' Joan showed true poignancy and vulnerability; John Slattery continued to make a reprobate the most charming and witty rogue; and January Jones' Betty recovered a great deal of likability. Meanwhile, there were breakout guest turns from James Wolk as a too-good-to-be-true junior account man and Linda Cardellini as the mistress Don can't keep, and the one that sends him on his latest and deepest downward spiral. Plus, there were many moments to savor: the unexpected merger of rival ad agencies; Cosgrove's drug-induced dance number; the appearance of Pete Campbell's conscience; Don finally coming clean. less

MAD MEN - The worst season of "Mad Men" is far better than the best of most other shows. Such was the case with the penultimate year for the AMC drama. Characters and plots drifted. A sameness and slowness ... more

MAD MEN - The worst season of "Mad Men" is far better... Photo-5690376.77251 - Times Union

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ORPHAN BLACK - Sorry. I can't say this Canadian import seen here on BBC America contained the best performance on TV last year. Because it contained the seven best performances. The amazing, remarkable, astounding Tatiana Maslany created seven (so far!) distinct, enticing, deeply wrought personalities as she played off herself in masterful ways in this clone tale. No worries - the science fiction aspect is not a case of the tail wagging the dog; it's just the conceit to set the supernaturally talented Maslany off and running. The series is also part mystery, part conspiracy thriller, part satire, part heartfelt drama among misfits and all fantastic. It manages to be somehow dark and light all at the same time. Did I mention that Maslany is OTHERWORLDLY GOOD?! You will watch her in scenes playing both, and sometimes three, parts and your brain will not allow you to believe they are not wholly separate actresses. And even in the least sympathetic of her portrayals, she is still endearing and haunted. And - SPOILER ALERT - when any of the clones come to their genetically-enhanced ends you miss them horribly. She completely knocked me for a loop and I am suffering serious Sarah/Beth/Alison/Cosima (ah, Cosima ...)/Helena/Katja/Rachel withdrawal until the show returns with new episodes in April. less

ORPHAN BLACK - Sorry. I can't say this Canadian import seen here on BBC America contained the best performance on TV last year. Because it contained the seven best performances. The amazing, remarkable, ... more

THE RETURNED - As much as I like "The Walking Dead," these are the undead characters I most want to hang out with. When the recently (and no so recently) deceased residents of a small French mountain town start coming back to their lives and their families with no knowledge of their demises, it's just the beginning of one of the most affecting series in many a season. A French import shown on the Sundance Channel, "The Returned" rewards patience. It starts out complicated and mysterious, but you can clearly see the design, with (almost) all the puzzle pieces coming together by the end. And the horror aspects are minimal; in fact, it turns the zombie cliches on their heads. Haunting, exciting, moody, searing. It, too, is coming back for a second season somehow. There's a reason it just won the International Emmy Award for best series. less

THE RETURNED - As much as I like "The Walking Dead," these are the undead characters I most want to hang out with. When the recently (and no so recently) deceased residents of a small French mountain town start ... more

THE RETURNED - As much as I like "The Walking Dead,"... Photo-5690378.77251 - Times Union

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TOP OF THE LAKE - Sundance continued to dazzle with this New Zealand-set miniseries, the brainchild of acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion. It all begins with the disappearance of a pregnant teenager in the remote town of Laketop. What transpires gets dark and twisted, but in the most entertaining and enthralling ways. Elizabeth Moss stars as the cop and former Laketop resident who comes back to town to treat her dying mother and soon finds herself as the lead detective on the case. The disturbing history, both her own and the town's, that she dredges up is like a gut punch. And Moss, a double Golden Globe nominee for this and "Mad Men," is perfection, Kiwi accent and all. The misfits, outcasts and foreigners who make up the town - an out there Holly Hunter, a scary and nearly unintelligible Peter Mullan - give the whole thing a "Twin Peaks" feel at times, but this is no fantasy. It examines the black heart of humanity and it gets pretty black. And the confusion you'll feel? It's part of the appeal. less

TOP OF THE LAKE - Sundance continued to dazzle with this New Zealand-set miniseries, the brainchild of acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion. It all begins with the disappearance of a pregnant teenager in the remote ... more

TOP OF THE LAKE - Sundance continued to dazzle with this New... Photo-5690379.77251 - Times Union

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KEY & PEELE - Simply put: The best sketch comedy on the air. And when it comes to general comedy, as opposed to the anti-everything anarchy that is "South Park" or the across-the-board mockery of "Family Guy," this live action series is rooted in truth. Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele, former "Mad TV" castmates, take up the mantle left by Dave Chappelle and produce the most cutting, hilarious, all-too real commentary on race in America today, along with tons of other social issues. Even when a sketch is less than hysterical, it's always good and it's always exactly as it should be. More of this please, Comedy Central. less

KEY & PEELE - Simply put: The best sketch comedy on the air. And when it comes to general comedy, as opposed to the anti-everything anarchy that is "South Park" or the across-the-board mockery of "Family Guy," ... more

PORTLANDIA - So much more than a sketch show. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein nail a cavalcade of sometimes intersecting characters and situations, all set in the Northwest bohemian mecca of Portland, Oregon. It shatters pretensions while somehow simultaneously celebrating their best parts. The show is an acquired or at least specific taste, but if it is yours, you'll be thrilled beyond all measure. Maybe I'm reading into something that wasn't there, but you could almost see it written on Armisen's face during his final season on "Saturday Night Live." While he was seeming tired of it all, and his appearances were growing tiresome, he was energetically killing it every week here. And former indie rock star Brownstein matches him sketch for sketch, wig for wig. She's great. less

PORTLANDIA - So much more than a sketch show. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein nail a cavalcade of sometimes intersecting characters and situations, all set in the Northwest bohemian mecca of Portland, ... more

PORTLANDIA - So much more than a sketch show. Fred Armisen and... Photo-5690382.77251 - Times Union

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PARKS AND RECREATION - With these next three, now we come to the "why aren't you watching these shows" portion of the proceedings. Just because it's routinely neglected by the Emmys and viewers alike doesn't mean this Amy Poehler-led NBC comedy isn't one of the funniest, tightest, deepest shows around, with one of the best ensembles. It remains for me one of the biggest headscratchers why this show has to struggle so hard for respect and ratings. It also occurs to us that this and the next two shows have three of the best, most realistic couples or near-couples of any show currently airing. less

PARKS AND RECREATION - With these next three, now we come to the "why aren't you watching these shows" portion of the proceedings. Just because it's routinely neglected by the Emmys and viewers alike doesn't ... more

PARKS AND RECREATION - With these next three, now we come to the... Photo-5690383.77251 - Times Union

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THE MIDDLE - Not since the heyday of "Roseanne" has a sitcom dealt so truthfully, poignantly and hilariously with the realities of middle class (what's left of it) family life and economics in America. The killer cast is headed by a never-better Patricia Heaton and the best dad since, yes, "Roseanne"'s John Goodman in Neil Flynn. But the show also has the best child actors/characters on TV. Seriously, please watch this show! Somehow, ABC keeps renewing this under-the-radar gem because it's in its fifth season, so I'm not complaining. less

THE MIDDLE - Not since the heyday of "Roseanne" has a sitcom dealt so truthfully, poignantly and hilariously with the realities of middle class (what's left of it) family life and economics in America. The ... more

THE MIDDLE - Not since the heyday of "Roseanne" has a... Photo-5690384.77251 - Times Union

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THE MINDY PROJECT - Voted most improved show on TV by none other than me. Like "30 Rock" and "Parks and Recreation" before it, this Mindy Kaling creation took a little bit of time and some growing pains before it caught its groove last season, its first. But it quickly morphed into one of the sharpest comedies on air, with - again - one of the smoothest, funniest casts. And the Mindy-Danny "will they/won't they" dance adds new layers to that done-to-death scenario. Whatever you do, FOX, don't cancel this show. less

THE MINDY PROJECT - Voted most improved show on TV by none other than me. Like "30 Rock" and "Parks and Recreation" before it, this Mindy Kaling creation took a little bit of time and some growing pains before ... more

THE MINDY PROJECT - Voted most improved show on TV by none other... Photo-5690385.77251 - Times Union